Random Dialogue: MMOGs and a Mouse
Dialogue, 2004-05-27

Keep them occupied

Every ride at WDW has an intricate line queue area that is themed to the ride you're about to go on. These themed areas ensure that there aren't lines stretching out into the hot Florida sun, but they also mentally prepare the person in line for what they're about to do. Build up, then, is almost as important as the moment of truth. Dungeon and zone design should ensure that not only is there something really cool for a player to do, but they should have fun (be able to do something cool) on the way to the cool thing(tm).

Crowd Flow is Important

While most of the magic kingdom parks are very well laid out, the tiny alleys and sidebits of the Magic Kingdom reminded me a lot of the twists and turns of Qeynos. Major cities need to be laid out in a logical fashion, even in fantasy kingdoms. Copious and logical signage is also a major concern. If the really big attractions have no signs directing you to them, no one is going to go on them and you're going to get complaints that "there's nothing fun to do!". Similarly, denying directions to major NPCs or shops within MMOG cities is a poor idea. Even in a fantasy kingdom somebody's going to think to put up a sign that says "King This Way ->".

Shiny == Money

World of Warcraft and City of Heroes are really great examples of why polish is just so important. You can have the most technically perfect game of all time on your hands, with a flawless design and stellar graphics, but if you don't have the shiny no one is going to give you a second glance. Polish is very important. Make sure the game is fun to play before you make people play it.

People will wait for the good stuff

Something that should come as no suprise to MMOG vets, the best stuff is worth the wait. No matter how many people whine about the difficulty of reaching that demon plane, or the horror of getting the super cool sword, or the grinding it takes to get to level 50, they'll still do it. There were people waiting in 2 hour long lines at WDW for a ride that lasted about 3 minutes. As long as the payoff is worth it, the wait is justifiable. Don't dumb down things or lessen the challenge because of a vocal minority.

Strollers are a pain in the ass

I swear, what are they thinking? Okay, let's say you have a one year old. Why are you bringing him to Disney World? He's not going to remember it! You should have dumped the kid with your folks and gone alone and had a good time. Instead, you brought the kid and are now tooling him around in a stroller that's roughly the size of a full sized sedan. You're now a traffic hazard, blocking pedestrians as they try to get past you to the teacups or Dumbo ride while you order a cone of crushed ice. Then, when you go to get on the inter-resort bus to get back to your hotel room you fold up this monstrosity and lug it down the aisle of the bus. You bang shins as you go, cause disruption, confusion, and mostly make people sad that you exist. Leave your stroller at home!

Ahem. Next week will be more on-task. Promise. Later!